Makkan And Madeenan Revelations (1/3)

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Makkan And Madeenan Revelations (1/3)

Imam Ibn Taymiyyah


The Qur’an was revealed in sections to Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) from the beginning of his prophethood until shortly before his death. Thus, the Qur’an came down continuously over a period of twenty-three years.
The various sections of the Qur’an were generally revealed to solve the problems, which existed among the Muslim communities in both Makkah and Madeenah. Since the problems and needs of Makkah were different from those of Madeenah, the revelations of Makkah and Madeenah have special characteristics of their own.
It is very important that the differences between the revelations of Makkah and Madeenah be clearly understood if the Qur’an itself is to be clearly understood. Because of the great importance of the Qur’an to Islam, Islamic scholars from the time of the sahaabah have devoted much time and effort in this area of study.
The Features of Makkan Revelations
Makkan revelations are defined as all verses and chapters of the Qur’an which were brought by Jibreel to the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) before the Hijrah (622 CE).
This includes verses, which were revealed in Taa’if, as well as those revealed in other areas outside of Makkah.[1] These revelations represent the first stage of the Islamic movement, in which its fundamentals were established.
1. Tawheed (The Oneness of Allah):
When Islam was first presented to the people of Makkah, they were in a state of disbelief. Most of them believed in Allah, but they had put many intermediaries between themselves and Allah. They made idols to represent these intermediaries and worshipped them instead of Allah. Thus, the early revelations taught the people about Allah’s unity and power over all things. They told the people that Allah was without parents, offspring, or any partner who shared His powers. They also pointed out that idols could neither bring good nor hold back evil. They questioned the logic of worshipping things, which could not even see or hear.
2. Salaah (Formal Prayer):
After the first verses of revelation came informing the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that he had been chosen for prophethood, Allah sent Jibreel to teach him the correct method of prayer. This was necessary because the correct method of prayer could not be arrived at by logical reasoning. Therefore, even the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) himself had to be taught the correct method of worshipping Allah. Due to the great importance of salaah in nurturing a person’s consciousness of his Lord, the early verses called upon the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and his early band of followers to make their salaah regularly.[2]
Since the Makkans were in the habit of worshipping idols in the belief that these homemade gods would carry their prayers to Allah for them, the early verses were also aimed at clarifying this misconception. The verses taught that both salaah and du‘aa (supplication) should only be made for and to Allah, as He is the only one who can answer them.
Great stress was placed on salaah because of its relationship to tawheed. Pure salaah to Allah represents tawheed in practice.
3. The Unseen:
Since there was no way that human beings could possibly come to know about the unseen world, the early verses taught them about its wonders, its mysteries, and its horrors. The verses described paradise and its pleasures in order to encourage the believers to continue to do good deeds. They also described the Hellfire and its torments in order to encourage the believers to strive to avoid evil deeds. Descriptions of the Fire and its inhabitants also reassured the believers that those who do wrong in this life will not escape Allah’s punishment. Such descriptions were also aimed at scaring the disbelievers into reconsidering their position before it became too late. Some of the verses also reasoned with those who could not accept the resurrection by giving them examples from nature, such as rain falling on dead earth bringing it back to life. Others pointed out logically that the recreation of life would be easier than its creation, although it is all the same to Allah.
4. Allah’s Existence:
There were some individuals among the Makkans who were in doubt about Allah’s very existence. Thus, some of the early verses presented logical arguments proving Allah’s existence. Sometimes proofs were taken from nature and the creatures common to that society. Allah asked the Makkans,
“Why don’t they look at the camels and how they were created, and the sky and how it was raised, and the mountains and how they are firmly fixed and the earth and how it was spread out?” [3]
At other times straight logic was used. Allah asked them if they were created from nothing or if they created themselves:
“Were they created from nothing, or were they themselves the creators?”[4]
This verse is amazing in the conciseness of its challenge. There are only three possible answers to the question of the source of creation. The verse mentions only two and leaves the third unstated due to its obviousness. It doesn’t bother to disprove these two possibilities because they are so obviously false. Something which doesn’t exist doesn’t have the power to bring anything into existence. Likewise, everyone knows there was a time when he or she didn’t exist, so we can’t have created ourselves. Even if some were to argue that they came from their parents and that their parents came from their parents and so on, the chain of causes must eventually decrease to one whose existence doesn’t depend on anything. Thus, Allah, the Creator, has to be accepted for our existence to make sense. In fact, one of the people of Makkah, Jubayr ibn Mut‘im reported that he heard the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) reciting this passage in his salaah, and it made him feel that his heart was going to fly, which caused him to eventually accept Islam.[5]
5. Challenges:
In order to prove to the Quraysh that the Qur’an was from Allah and that Muhammad (r) was a prophet of Allah, some of the Makkan verses challenged the Arabs to imitate the Qur’an. Many of the chapters began with individual letters like “Alif, Laam and Meem,” “Saad,” or “Noon” in order to tease the Makkans with the same letters of the alphabet with which they made their flowery speeches and poetry. Allah revealed the Qur’an with the same letters, but they just could not imitate it. Since the Arabs were unable to produce a chapter like even the smallest chapter of Qur’an, the miraculous nature of the Qur’an and its divine origin were clearly proven to the people at that time. However, many of them preferred to look at the Qur’an as a magical spell, and the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) as a master magician.
6. The People of Old:
The Makkan verses often mentioned historical examples of earlier civilizations, like the ‘Aad and the Thamood. They were mentioned in order to warn those who had rejected the message of Islam. The verses spoke about the wonders of the ancient civilizations. They recounted the many blessing which Allah had bestowed on the peoples of those civilizations. Then they told how the people disobeyed Allah and denied His blessings, and how Allah’s punishment caught them while they were totally unconcerned of what could become of them if they displeased Allah. These examples were quite familiar to the Arabs because the ruins of such civilizations could still be seen. For example, the stone tombs of Madaa’in Saalih, associated with the Thamood, the people of Prophet Saalih, were directly on the trade route to Syria.
7. Iman:
Very few laws were revealed in the Makkan verses. Instead, the verses concentrated on principles, which would build the Iman (faith) of the early Muslims. These verses spoke of the importance of fearing Allah and being aware of His presence and knowledge of all things. They were often filled with advice about being patient, perseverant, truthful and trustworthy, in order to build the moral and spiritual character of the early Muslims, who were in a minority and under great pressure from Makkan society.
8. Short Verses:
The Makkan soorahs usually had short verses, catchy rhymes, and a very strong rhythm. These qualities were meant to catch the attention of listeners who were basically opposed to the message of Islam. The verses had to be short because the audience would not be willing to listen to long, drawn-out statements.
As soon as they heard any of the Qur’an, they would stick their fingers in their ears and turn away. Thus, the verses often had to strike home immediately. They often resembled the chants of the oracles and fortunetellers, but their meanings were very clear, whereas the oracles’ chants were mostly obscure and vague. For example, the oracle Zabraa warned her people about a disaster that would soon strike them in the following words:

By the fluttering wind,
And the falling night;
By the shining morn,
And the piercing star;
By the rain-laden clouds,
Verily, the trees of the valley are really deceptive,
And teeth gnash until twisted.
Verily, the boulders of the mountain warn of mourning,
That you won’t find any escape from.
The fortuneteller Zabraa.

(Continued)

[1] Al-Itqaan, vol. 1, p. 23.

[2] Cf. 23:1-11; 70:34-5; 73:2; 73:20; 74:38-43.

[3] Soorah al-Ghaashiyah (88):17-20.

[4] Soorah at-Toor (52):35.

[5] Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 6, pp. 357-8, no. 377. See also Ibn Hajar’s comments in Fath al-Bari, vol. 8, p. 469.

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Makkan And Madeenan Revelations (2/3)

Imam Ibn Taymiyyah




The Features of Madeenan Revelations
Madeenan revelations are all those verses and chapter of the Qur’an, which were revealed after the Hijrah (the emigration to Madeenah). This includes verses, which were revealed during the battles, as well as those revealed in Makkah and Minaa during and after the Farewell Pilgrimage. All of these verses are considered Madeenan because they represent the revelations of the second stage of the Islamic movement, in which the consolidation of the Islamic state took place. [1]
The following are some of the main characteristics of Madeenan verses:
1. Laws:
Once Madeenah had become the new center of the Islamic movement, the Islamic state was born. The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) became ruler over the Muslims of Madeenah, as well as the Jews and the Arab idol worshippers who lived there. A constitution was drawn up and a system of justice was established. Thus, the verses during the Madeenan stage contained the many social, economic, and spiritual laws which were necessary for the organization and development of an Islamic state. It was during this period that the last three pillars of Islam, zakaah, sawm and hajj, were revealed.[2] Likewise, it was during this period that drinking alcohol, eating swine, and gambling were all forbidden.
2. People of the Book:
In Madeenah, Muslims came in contact with the Jews for the first time. In order to try to shake the beliefs of the Muslims, the Jews used to ask the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) various questions about Allah, the earlier prophets, and the unseen. Thus, a number of Madeenan verses represented answers to the many questions raised by the Jews. The Muslims of Madeenah also came in contact with the Christians on a larger scale. As a result of that, we find a number of Madeenan verses clarifying Christian misconceptions about Prophet Jesus and Allah. They pointed out that Jesus’ birth was not greater than that of Aadam, who had neither father nor mother. They also stressed that the miracles of Jesus, such as bringing the dead back to life, were only by Allah’s permission. Thus, Jesus was not a god nor the son of Allah, and Allah was not the third of three.
3. The Munaafiqoon:
For the first time since the beginning of the final message we find people entering Islam yet not believing in it. In Makkah, Muslims were oppressed and attacked, so no one would enter Islam unless he truly believed. On the other hand, the Muslims of Madeenah were strong and they ruled the city. Thus, we find some people entering Islam in order to benefit from its strength and to oppose it from within. ‘Abdullaah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool was about to be crowned king of Madeenah when the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) arrived. The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was made the ruler of Madeenah, and ibn Salool’s hopes were ruined.[3] Since the Muslims were strong and he could not openly oppose them, he accepted Islam and worked against it from within. He eventually became the head of the Munaafiqoon (hypocrites). Thus, the verses of the Madeenan stage warned the Muslims about the dangers of the hypocrites and taught them how to deal effectively with them.
4. Jihaad:
The right to fight against the enemy was given for the first time in Madeenah. During the Makkan period, Muslims were forbidden to fight back. This was for two basic reasons: (1) The Muslims were a minority and could easily have been completely wiped out. (2) This was a stage where the believers’ characters were being forged. One of the foremost qualities required of those who would carry the message was steadfast patience. Only those of strong faith could survive this test.
The Makkan period prepared the foundation of the Islamic movement to come. It was during the Madeenan stage that a series of battles were fought against the forces of disbelief, until finally Makkah was conquered and the whole of the Arabian Peninsula came under the rule of Islam. Thus, a number of the Madeenan verses taught Muslims the Islamic principles of war. For example, they taught how to deal with prisoners of war and they forbade retreat during an attack except as a trick to trap the enemy. They also encouraged the Muslims to prepare themselves with the best weapons and battle gear they could find.
5. Long Verses:
The Madeenan verses tended to be longer than those of Makkah. In fact, there are a number of Madeenan verses which are longer than whole soorahs of the Makkan period. The longest verse of the Qur’an is the verse on loans in the Madeenan Soorah al-Baqarah.[4] The shortest soorah of the Qur’an is the Makkan Soorah al-Kawthar,[5] which contains a total of only 11 separate words in its three short verses. The need to catch the attention of unwilling listeners was no longer there, because Islam had become strong and its followers were many. Thus, the audience at this stage was quite willing to listen attentively to longer verses teaching the vital laws of Islam.
6. Order of the Soorahs:
Although all of the Makkan verses were revealed during the same period, they were neither memorized nor written in the same order in which they were revealed. Verses from various soorahs were revealed together and sometimes, whole soorahs were revealed at once. Whenever single verses were revealed, the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would tell his scribes to write it in the soorah to which it belonged. If a new soorah was revealed, he would recite the soorah in the order it was to be recorded. Once the Madeenan verses and soorahs began to be revealed, the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would tell his companions to place them before or after certain Makkan soorahs and verses. Thus, when the revelation of the Qur’an was complete, Makkan verses could be found within Madeenan soorahs and Madeenan verses within Makkan soorahs. The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) ordered the verses and soorahs of the Qur’an according to Allah’s command. The reason for the mingling may have been that the verses were revealed according to the needs of a developing community, whereas the order for reading purposes was varied to make it clear that the Qur’an is not a mere historical document. By divorcing the verses from the chronological order of their revelation, the general and universal aspects of their message are emphasized.

(Continued)

[1] Al-Itqaan, vol. 1, p. 23.

[2] Zakaah had been prescribed in Makkah, but it was informal at that time; the detailed rules were not laid down until after the Hijrah.

[3] See Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 989, no. 4431.

[4] Soorah al-Baqarah (2):282.

[5] The 108th Soorah

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Makkan And Madeenan Revelations (3/3)

Imam Ibn Taymiyyah




The Importance of The Distinction
There are a number of reasons why a distinction needs to be made between Makkan and Madeenan soorahs and verses. The following are three of the most important reasons:
1. Fiqh (Islamic Law):
The various laws of Islam were revealed over a period of twenty-three years. Some laws canceled earlier laws and other laws were revealed bit by bit. Thus, it is necessary to know at which point in time the various laws were revealed in order to apply them properly. The laws of the later Madeenan period sometimes took the place of earlier laws. For example, alcohol was made forbidden in gradual stages. The first law concerning alcohol was simply a warning of its dangers. Allah said,
“And they ask you about khamr (alcohol) and maysir (gambling); tell them that they contain some benefit, but the sin is greater than the benefit.”[1]
The second law that was revealed warned Muslims away from salaah when they were intoxicated (drunk). Allah said,
“Do not come to salaah when you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying.”[2]
The third law, however, was a complete prohibition of even coming near any form of alcohol. Allah said,
“Verily, khamr, maysir and azlaam (fortunetelling) are filth, as a result of Shaytaan’s work, so stay away from them.”[3]
If one was unaware of the order in which these verses were revealed, he may mistakenly think that he is allowed to drink alcohol as long as he doesn’t get drunk and come to salaah. Or, he may think that it is allowed for him to benefit from the sale of alcohol.
2. Da‘wah:
By understanding the order in which the verses of the Qur’an were revealed, one can learn the best method of teaching Islam. For example, the Qur’an taught the believers not to curse or make fun of the idols of the disbelievers in order not to drive them away and in order that they not curse Allah out of ignorance. Instead they were told to reason with the disbelievers and show them logically why the worship of idols was incorrect. Allah quoted Prophet Ibraaheem as saying to his people,
“Are you worshipping besides Allah other gods which cannot benefit you at all nor harm you?”[4]
The verse quoting Ibraaheem’s declaration of enmity to his people and what they worshipped instead of Allah:
“There is an excellent example for you in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘We are clear of you and of whatever you worship besides Allah; we have rejected you, and there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred forever, unless ye believe in Allah Alone,’”[5] was revealed in Madeenah, after the Muslims had practiced years of patient argument with their relatives in Makkah. The disbelievers of Makkah had met reasoned argument with persecution and violence. They had driven the Muslims from their homes, and a state of armed conflict existed between the two sides. It is not, therefore, Sunnah for a person to accept Islam, read this verse and try to apply it on his family and acquaintances.
3. Seerah:
Most of the most important events in the Prophet’s life have been recorded in various verses of the Qur’an. Thus, by knowing the order in which the verses were revealed, it is possible to piece together a large portion of the biography of the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam).

[1] Soorah al-Baqarah (2):219.

[2] Soorah an-Nisaa’ (4):43

[3] Soorah al-Maa’idah (5):90.

[4] Soorah al-Anbiyaa’ (21):66.

[5] Soorah al-Mumtahinah (60):4.